Upper-folding machine



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet '1.

0. E. WILLIAMS. UPPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 468,590. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

WI NESEEE- |NVENTEIR (No Model.) 7 3 SheetsSheet 2.

0. E. WILLIAMS.

UPPER FOLDING MACHINE.

III

Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

\UN .IM

WITNESSES- INVENTEJR a:

(No Model.) 3SheetsSheet 3 C; E. WILLIAMS.

UPPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 468,590. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

FIG, 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. IVILLIAMS, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

UPPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,590, dated February9, 1892. Application filed May 26, 1891. Serial No. 394,102. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. WILLIAMS, of Milford, in the county ofWVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Crimping or Folding Pieces of Clothor other Materials, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates, chiefly, to machines for folding or crimpinglinings for boots and shoes by the use of heat and pressure, the sheetor piece to be crimped being folded between two opposing surfaces whichare pressed closely against the material interposed between them, so asto form a sharp crease at the folded edge, said surfaces being heated tomake the fold or crease more permanent.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and effectivemachine of this class; and to this end it consists in the improvementswhich I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a sectionon line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation and partialsection of a portion of the machine. Fig. 5 represents a side view ofthe creasingblade. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a portion ofthe operating-shaft of the machine.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, a represents a suitable base or bed having bearings, inwhich is journaled a crank-shaft b, the same having the cranks oreccentric wrist-pins b I)", Fig. 6, which give motion, through thedevices hereinafter described, to the creasing-blade o and to therocking presser cl. The bed a is provided at one end with a horizontaltable a, which supports the piece 6 to be folded, one end of said tableforming a wall or pressingsurface a whichco-operates with the rockingpresser d in folding and creasing the portion of the piece 6 that isinterposed between said parts. The rocking-presser d is provided at itsends with trunnions d d which are jourwrist-pin b.

naled in bearings in the sides of the base a. To said presser is affixeda lever (2 which projects rearwardly over the crank-shaft b. n

9 represents a lever, which is pivoted at g to the lever cl and alsoprojects over the crankshaft, said lever g being interposed between thecrank-shaft and the lever C1 and having its rear end arranged to bear onthe The rotation of the crankshaft 1) causes the wrist-pin b to rise andfall and impart a like movement to the lever g. A spring h is interposedbetween the lever g and the lever (1 said spring constituting a yieldingor elastic connection between the levers (Z and g and exerting theupward pressure on the lever (P, which forces the rocking presser (1forward toward the fixed surface M, with which it co-operates, saidspring enabling the presser (Z to conform to the thickness of theleather interposed between it and the surface or shoulder a i representsa spring which is interposed between the fixed top of the base or bed aand the lever (Z and is adapt-edto press said leverdownwardly, so as toseparate thepresser d from the shoulder a when the wrist-pin b recedesor falls.

j represents a curved lever, which is provided with trunnions j,journaled in bearings 7o 7.; on the base a. One end of the lever j isprovided with a slotj which receives the wrist-pin W. The revolution ofsaid wrist-pin causes the lever j to oscillate and thus alternatelyraise and depress the creasing-blade c, which is supported by theopposite end of said lever. The creasing-blade c is arranged over thespace between the presser (Z and the shoulder ta so that when it isdepressed it enters said space and forces apart of the piece 6thereinto, thus forming a bight -or loop in said piece 6, as shown inFig. 2. The blade is serrated on its lower edge, as shown in Fig. 5,theobject of the serrations being to prevent the piece 6 from slippingunder the edge of the blade, as it might do if the blade were notserrated. The blade 0 is affixed to a holder 0, having a shank; 0 whichis in sorted in a socket in a vertically-movable rod or plunger 0 andheld in engagement with said socket by a screw 23. The rod or plunger ois fitted to move vertically in a socket q in the upper end of the leverj and is normally pressed downwardly in said socket by a spring r untilthe screw 1) bears on the lower end of a slot 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the machine above described is as follows: The pieceeto be creased and folded is placed upon the table a, with its inner endagainst an adjustable gage u, affixed to the frame a by a screw '0,passing through a slot 1) in said gage, the blade 0 being at this timeraised and the presser d retracted ordrawn back to its greatest distancefrom the shoulder o The crank-shaft b is then rotated, and itswrist-pins b I) act, respectively, on the levers that carry the presserd and blade 0, force the blade downwardly into the space between thepresser and the shoulder 01?, and then force the presser forward againstthe material thus tucked or folded into said space, the blade beingretracted while the presser is moving forward, so that it leaves thespace between the presser and shoulder a unobstructed and permits thepresser to force one thickness of the material closely against the otherin said space. The presser remains in its projected position long enoughto permit the heated surfaces of the bed andpresser to give the desiredresult in folding and creasing the material, after which the presser isretracted and the piece ,6 removed.

It will be seen that the serrated edge of the blade 0 causes it tofirmly engage the material while pressing it down into the space inwhich it is creased, so that the piece cannot slip in either directionwhile it is being forced into said space. This is an important feature,because any slipping of the piece would change the width of the fold, aswill be readily seen. I

In Fig. 4 I have shown a lever x, which is pivoted at 00' to the frameof the machine a and has a shoulder 00 which is adapted to engage a lug0Z projecting outwardly from the presser d. The engagement of theshoulder 9: with the lug d is effected when the presser is movedforward, as shown in Fig. 4, by means of a spring 03 connected atone endto an arm on the lever 00 and at the other end to a collar affixed tothe trunnion d, said spring normally acting to force the lever 00upwardly and thus cause its shoulder on to engage the rear surface ofthe lug 01 when said lug has reached its forward position. Theengagement of the shoulder w with the lug (1 looks the presser-in itsforward position and affords the desired duration of pressure on thepiece 6. Then the pressure has been maintained a sufficient length oftime, the operator depresses the lever 00, the latter projecting towardthe front of the machine,

thus enabling the presser to be retracted by the force of the spring 2'.The lever 00 is, in fact, made double, as shown in Fig. 1, a crossbar 00connecting the outer ends of the two divisions of the lever, one of saiddivisions being at one side and the other at the opposite side of themachine, so that the lever acts on both ends of the presser in amannerthat will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. The shaft Z) isrotated by abelt running on a pulley 19 which is normally loose upon theshaft, and has a clutch member 1) which is adapted to be engaged withand disengaged from a corresponding clutch member b affixed to theshaft, the pulley b and its clutch member b being laterally movable onthe shaft, so as to permit it to be engaged with and disengaged from theclutch member b; The clutch members b and b are part of an automaticstop-motion, which operates to automatically disconnect thedriving-pulley from the shaft after each rotation of the latter and isadapted to be connected thereto by the depression of a treadle orsomeother act on the part of the operator. 7

As automatic stop-motions operating in this way are well known, I do notdeem it necessary to specifically describe any particular form ofstop-motion, as my invention does not include the same. Any well-knownstopmotions that are in general use in machines where the operation ofthe driving-shaft is automatically arrested after a complete rotationand caused to be resumed by the act of the operator may be used in thismachine.

2 represents a gas-burner arranged to heat the presser (l and shoulder aas shown in Fig. 2. 4

I claim-- 1. In a machine for folding and creasing pieces of material,the combination of a stationary table adapted to support the piece ofmaterial to be folded and provided with a shoulder or pressing-surface aa rocking presser pivotally connected to the frame at a point below thelevel of the table and arranged to co-operate with the shoulder a andmeans, substantially as described, for yieldingly forcing said pressertoward the shoulder a? and for retracting the presser, as set forth. I

2. In a machine for folding and creasing pieces of material, thecombination of a fixed frame provided with a shoulder or pressingsurfacea a rocking presser pivotally connected to said frame and arranged toco-opgaged at one end with the other crank, and a folding-blade securedto the other end'of said lever, as set forth.

3. In a machine for folding and creasing pieces of material, thecombination of a fixed frame provided with a shoulder or pressingsurfaceof, a rocking presser pivotally connected to said frame and arranged toco-opcrate with the shoulder a a lever, as (1 affixed to said presser,an arm or lever g, pivoted to said lever (1 a spring interposed betweenthe levers g and 1 and means for forcing-blade yieldingly connected tosaid lever, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 6th day of May, I 5 A. D.1891.

CHARLES WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

CHARLES KNIGHT, THos. WELCH.

